Tag: superman

Summer 2025 Box Office Breakdown

AdamLeave a comment

Movie theaters are in trouble! That’s at least what I’ve been hearing ever since Covid! Ever since that disastrous turn of events that shut down the whole world for a year or two, movie theaters all around the world has seen a significant decline in ticket and concessions sales. That hasn’t stopped Hollywood from doing everything in their power to keep the movie theater going experience alive. Even in the age of streaming, pirating, and Tik Tok, this is a battle that the movie making folks in southern California are willing to fight until they suddenly can’t.

And I don’t think there has been a period of time that has determined just how “well” movie theaters are going throughout the 2020s than this year’s lineup of summer blockbusters. Five years removed of movie theaters being shutdown and two years of infamous strikes, this is probably the most “back to normal” feeling that Hollywood has felt since pre-Covid. If this summer saw yet another underperforming two to three months, then there must come serious questions as to how long movie theaters have before they go extinct.

However, now that summer has come and gone, it’s time to see the results of how all the main feature films did in movie theaters everywhere. And the results are…….complicated.

In case you are wondering how I am judging it, I am gonna look at each major wide release that came out at the start of May to the middle of August. I’m gonna list the film’s budget, how much the film made at the box office, what the projected break even point likely was, how much the film gain in profit, and whether or not it should been seen as a success, flop, or break even point for the studios.

I’m only gonna use math that most tend to use when judging how a film does at the box office. Mostly by taking the budget, times that by 2.5X to cover the whole budget surrounding production and marketing, and seeing how much money it made or lose as a result.

Again, that is not the case for EVERY single one of these movies and this is NOT a direct result as to how the studios view each film from a financial standpoint. This is just my personal guess and opinion as to how each one of these films should be viewed as.

Plus, it’s also worth mentioning that ever since Covid, the definition of “success” is now quite different in the eyes of many producers in Hollywood. Who’s to say that just because a film didn’t do so great in it’s opening two weeks in theaters that the studios sees it as a failure when it became a big hit on digital and streaming? That alone could make it a “success” in the minds of studios.

It is worth remembering that a film’s overall success isn’t just determined based on how it did in theaters but also how it fared in terms of digital, streaming, and physical media sales. Just because not enough people showed up in theaters to give the film profit doesn’t mean people didn’t show it’s support when said film became accessible to all of our home media.

Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this analysis and gives you a good indication of how films are still thriving/struggling in movie theaters!

Thunderbolts*

Budget: $180 Million

Box Office: $382.4 Million

Break Even Point: $450+ Million

Gain/Lose: -$67.6+ Million

Verdict: Flop

Despite the mostly positive reception from fans and critics alike, this could not have been a bigger disappointment at the box office if it tried. Regardless if it has to do with the film starring around D- list MCU characters that most people aren’t familiar or superhero/Marvel fatigue in general, Thunderbolts* most certainly had to pay the price for previous sins surrounding these kind of films. It may have done solid ratings on Disney Plus and did at least kick of the summer movie season better than say…..The Fall Guy last year, but it did follow the tread that most MCU films post-Endgame have suffered from in underperforming box office returns. Between this, Brave New World, and another film to be mentioned later, 2025 has not been so kind to the Marvel Cinematic Universe from a box office standpoint.

Final Destination Bloodlines

Budget: $50 Million

Box Office: $313.9 Million

Break Even Point: $125+ Million

Gain/Loss: +$188.9+ Million

Verdict: Success

The first installment from this long-running franchise since 2011 more than certainly succeeded expectations. Final Destination Bloodlines acted as a nice love letter to the franchise while also acting as a bittersweet epilogue to the amazing career of the late great Tony Todd. I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up getting a sequel 2-3 years time (although hopefully no A.I. Tony Todd is needed). If there is one thing that 2025 has taught theatrically released films, it’s that if you have a low enough budget and give plenty of breathing time in the theaters before dumping it to digital and streaming, you will indeed see some promising theatrical profit in return.

Lilo & Stitch (2025)

Budget: $100 Million

Box Office: $1.037+ Billion

Break Even Point: $250+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$787+ Million

Verdict: Success

Despite all the discourse online about this one and what the true meaning of “ohana” is, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the 2025 live-action incarnation of Lilo & Stitch was able to be the most successful film of the summer along with Hollywood’s only billion dollar grosser thus far. There was an entire generation of millennials that grew up with the original animated classic and they all most certainly showed up during Memorial Day weekend to take their kids to experience the inferior version of one of Disney’s very best films in their history. At least it’s not……whatever the hell Snow White was. It’s because of this, I wouldn’t be surprised if Disney changes their mind on bringing Rapunzel and Elsa to the live-action screens in the near future.

Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning

Budget: $300-400 Million

Box Office: $598.8+ Million

Break Even Point: $750+ Million to $1+ Billion

Gain/Loss: -$151.2-$401.2+ Million

Verdict: Flop

There was a lot going against Tom Cruise’s last hurrah with his nearly three decade long action franchise and unfortunately, The Final Reckoning was no match for it. Suffering from a bloated budgeted, going head-to-head with Lilo & friends on Memorial Day weekend, and being part of a franchise that arguably peak seven years ago with Mission: Impossible- Fallout, it’s clear that audiences are ready to move on from Tom Cruise damn near killing himself for our amusement. I guess we’ll have to see if Top Gun 3 will be able to replicate the success of Maverick. If not, then we might have to accept that Tom Cruise is not the “Hollywood Jesus” that his ego claims himself to be and that the G.O.A.T. may indeed be washed.

Karate Kid Legends

Budget: $45 Million

Box Office: $115.8+ Million

Break Even Point: $112.5+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$3.3+ Million

Verdict: Broke Even

You all COMPLETELY forgot this movie came out, didn’t you? As a matter of fact, most of you probably didn’t even know this movie existed. This odd culmination of the Karate Kid franchise up to this point clearly failed to set the world on fire but thanks to it’s shocking low budget, it might’ve done just enough to not be a complete failure. And it most certainly probably was able to pick up any remaining losses with it’s digital release. I don’t know what this means for the future for this franchise but at least Karate Kid: Legends can rest easily knowing it’s far from the biggest failure to come out this summer, even if it’s easily among the most forgettable movies of the year.

Ballerina

Budget: $90+ Million

Box Office: $137.2+ Million

Break Even Point: $225+ Million

Gain/Loss:-$87.8+ Million

Verdict: Flop

2025 has not been so kind to Lionsgate and Ballerina was certainly no exception. Despite the presence of Keanu Reeves himself and the positive response from critics and fans, this John Wick spin-off failed to impress at the box office. Perhaps had the budget remain closer to the original John Wick than John Wick: Chapter 4, this could’ve managed to squeeze a profit (similar to a similar female-lead action flick in Atomic Blonde) but not with it’s 90+ million dollar budget (which a good chunk of it most certainly stemmed from reshoots). Whether it’s due to the franchise finally running on fumes or audience suffering from “girl boss” fatigue, Ballerina fell way below expectations, to the point where future John Wick spin-offs and perhaps even a John Wick 5 itself might just be up in the air.

How To Train Your Dragon (2025)

Budget: $150 Million

Box Office: $635.5+ Million

Break Even Point: $375+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$260.5+ Million

Verdict: Success

DreamWorks has finally threw their hat in the ring with live-action remakes and just like with Disney themselves, while the quality may not talk the talk, the box office results can certainly walk the walk. How To Train Your Dragon (2025) was able to capture the hearts of families and mainstream audiences in similar ways that the original animated version did back in 2010 along with the better live-action remakes from Disney (or at least the ones that were able to make a billion dollars). With the success of this film and a sequel in the works, I wouldn’t be surprised to see our favorite ogre and kung panda warrior getting their live-action treatment in the near future. But hey, if it helps cover for any potential loss that The Bad Guys 2 might have, then it might certainly be worth it!

Materialists

Budget: $20 Million

Box Office: $103.5+ Million

Break Even Point: $50+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$53.5+ Million

Verdict: Success

And who says original rom-coms are dead?! Despite the rather mixed audience response, Materialists was able to act as the most successful rom-com in recent memory that does NOT start Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney. And as much as everyone and their mother claim to be sick and tired of seeing Pedro Pascal everywhere, he can certainly help carry an original project such as this, along with Chris Evans and Dakota Johnson of course. Not much to say here than yeah, this did quite well at the theaters for this kind movie and A24 should most certainly see this as a success.

28 Years Later

Budget: $60 Million

Box Office: $151.2+ Million

Break Even Point: $150+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$1.2+ Million

Verdict: Broke Even

This divisive sequel/part one of a two-part story did just enough to break even at the box office but not much else. Perhaps had 28 Years Later been more positively received from mainstream audiences and/or it wasn’t relying on the two-part gimmick, this could’ve done much better. But nevertheless, it did at least enough to justify a Part Two getting made, which can hopefully pick up any sort of financial slack that this film might’ve left behind.

Elio

Budget: $150-200+ Million

Box Office: $154+ Million

Break Even Point: $375 to $500+ Million

Gain/Loss: -$221 to $346 Million

Verdict: Flop

Just a summer after Inside Out 2 gave Pixar the smash box office hit they desperately needed, Elio took any sort of momentum that Pixar might’ve possibly gained and COMPLETELY tripped over itself. From a combination of lackluster marketing, trouble from behind-the-scenes/development, a bloated budget, and Disney doing everything in their power to erase this movie from existence, is it any surprised this film ended up being perhaps the biggest flop of the the summer and possibly the year? Maybe I should’ve known better after doing my summer box office movie predictions but I thought after Inside Out 2, people were ready to hop back on board with Pixar with seeing their film in theaters. Looks like I was dead wrong in that regard and man…….I wish I wasn’t!

F1

Budget: $200-300+ Million

Box Office: $626+ Million

Break Even Point: $500-750 Million

Gain/Loss:+$126+ to -$124 Million

Verdict: Success

There are probably many folks out there that are shocked to see this as being labeled as a success due to the film’s massive budget but F1‘s “success” or “failure” is much more complicated than most. First off, this is a partnership between Apple+ and Warner Bros. Apple was the one that funded the movie and would take credit for the success when the film arrives on digital and streaming, while Warner Bros was able to gain the profit from theater showings. Plus, this wasn’t so much about helping out theaters than it was about promoting the sport of F1 racing all across the world! Take all those factors in mind along with the fact that a movie in 2025 was able to make $600+ million that is NOT a superhero film, live-action remake, video game adaption, or an anime, F1 was most certainly a breakout success that helped add to a terrific year that Warner Bros has had in theaters!

M3GAN 2.0

Budget: $15-25+ Million

Box Office: $39.1+ Million

Break Even Point: $37.5-62.5 Million

Gain/Loss:+$1.6 to -25 Million

Verdict: Flop

This has to be the most BAFFLING failure of this summer! Not because it’s a shock that it bombed because the movie itself lacking quality compared to the first but because some of the most baffling decisions made from a business standpoint. From dumping the movie in the middle of summer when the original did just swell in January 2023 to advertising it as a sci-fi comedy instead of sci-fi horror, it’s like Blumhouse was doing everything in their power to ensure this would be a failure. If that was the case, then they MORE than certainly succeeded.

Jurassic World Rebirth

Budget: $180-225+ Million

Box Office: $867+ Million

Break Even Point: $450-562.5+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$305-418+ Million

Verdict: Success

Here is what was wildly considered the most surprising box office success story of Summer 2025 and…..I don’t necessarily know why. While the Jurassic Park franchise might’ve no longer be the billion dollar juggernaut that previous installments were, Rebirth did prove that people still love seeing dinosaurs on the big screen. And this time around they got to see dinosaurs AND Scarlett Johansson on the big screen! What better winning combo than that! Even if this franchise should’ve ended by now, don’t be surprised if Universal wants to keep the Jurassic ball rolling after the monster smash hit of the summer. Again, this might’ve not been a billion dollar gross but it did more than enough to be considered a success!

Superman (2025)

Budget: $225+ Million

Box Office: $615.7+ Million

Break Even Point: $562.5+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$53.2+ Million

Verdict: Success

Welp, here’s the most hotly debated success/failure story of the summer! Even though Superman (2025) has gained at least $53+ million based on traditional projections (or more according to Variety), there has been a serious argument that James Gunn’s take on Superman actually underperformed and even a failure. If we look at it through the mindset of Warner Bros back in 2013, you might have an argument. But in 2025, if we take the words from CEO David Zaslav and crew, it seems like they have much more manageable expectations and just needed to do enough to make a profit and do well in digital and physical sales to be considered a success. They know they can’t turn everything around in one movie like they thought they could a decade ago and are willing to be more patient in regaining the mainstream audience trust. Looking it that way, Superman (2025) was indeed a success. Sorry Snyder cult!

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)

Budget: $18+ Million

Box Office: $64.7+ Million

Break Even Point: $45+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$19.7+ Million

Verdict: Success

This might’ve been controversial among die-hard fans and mainstream audiences but thanks to a super low budget of just 18 million dollars, I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) did good enough to at least guarantee it to be a success. Once again, the lower the budget, the easier it is for your film to be a profit in theaters. More studios should take notes on that, especially with what has come from the horror genre this year!

Smurfs (2025)

Budget: $58+ Million

Box Office: $120+ Million

Break Even Point: $145+ Million

Gain/Loss:-$15+ Million

Verdict: Flop

No one was asking for a new iteration of the Smurfs in 2025! Not kids! Not families! Not anyone! And they were ESPECIALLY not asking for a new iteration with Rihanna, James Corden, or Jimmy Kimmel (Although, PRO-FREEDOM OF SPEECH!)! Literally no one but Paramount should be shocked at the fact that this bombed! And even then, I think deep down they aren’t shocked at all either!

The Fantastic Four- First Steps

Budget: $200+ Million

Box Office: $521.5+ Million

Break Even Point: $500+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$21.5 Million

Verdict: Broke Even

This might’ve been the highest grossing MCU film of the year but it still disappointed greatly, compared to the highest grossing MCU films of prior years. This will likely mark the first year that an MCU film does NOT make it to the top 10 highest grossing overall films of the year since 2011. The Fantastic Four has certainly been more appealing to die-hard Marvel and comic fans than it did the mainstream audience but you can’t help but wonder how much better this would’ve done pre-2019. If adjusted projections are to go by, The Fantastic Four-First Steps will likely be the one MCU film to break even in 2025…..but that’s it. And for Marvel Studios standards, that’s quite underwhelming!

The Naked Gun (2025)

Budget: $42+ Million

Box Office: $102+ Million

Break Even Point: $105+ Million

Gain/Loss: -$3+ Million

Verdict: Broke Even

If we are talking about how much the 2025 incarnation of the The Naked Gun did in theaters, it might’ve fell just short of reaching it’s break even point. However, with making up any potential revenue loss with it’s release to digital and soon streaming, I would believe Paramount was more satisfied with how this one did than say……Mission: Impossible. I don’t think this did enough to “save” comedies or resurrected a genre of films that Hollywood has been quite picky to tackle for the better part of a decade but for what it’s worth, I believe this did just fine.

The Bad Guys 2

Budget: $80+ Million

Box Office: $225+ Million

Break Even Point: $200+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$25+ Million

Verdict: Broke Even

This one is quite a tongue twister. Largely impacted by a slew of summer movie competition along with pulling the trigger to the digital release so quicky, The Bad Guys 2 is more likely unable to match the success that the original did. However, due to working at a sizable budget and having solid digital sales thus far, it seems like it did just enough to match it’s break even point. While we might still get a third movie sometime in the future, I don’t think The Bad Guys franchise has become the success story that DreamWorks had envisioned it being, especially compared to the likes of Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How To Train Your Dragon. In that regards, it’s quite a same because this has been a damn good animated series of films thus far! Fingers crossed that a third movie gets made!

Freakier Friday

Budget: $42-45+ Million

Box Office: $152.3+ Million

Break Even Point: $105-112.5+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$39.8-47.3+ Million

Verdict: Success

I still don’t know why this was even made but thanks to it’s lower budget and modest box office projections, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan’s Disney team-up that was 22 years in the making was able to exceed expectations without breaking any new ground. I guess it helps to have a sizeable budget and leaving plenty of breathing room between theater showings and digital/physical releases. If only Disney can get that same memo with everything else they do in the way they did with Freakier Friday.

Weapons

Budget: $38+ Million

Box Office: $266.4+ Million

Break Even Point: $95+ Million

Gain/Loss:+$170+ Million

Verdict: Success

Similar to Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines, Weapons was able to prove once again that you can win big in horror by playing small. This genuinely scary crowd pleaser was able to make the best with it’s modest budget to craft a smash hit, standing alongside with plenty of original horror films in recent memory. Even with what was a rather crowded area of theatrically released films at the time it came out, this was able to stand out swiftly to be a nice success story. Now let’s just see if director Zach Cregger can say the same for Resident Evil next year!

Nobody 2

Budget: $25+ Million

Box Office: $39.4+ Million

Break Even Point: $62.5+ Million

Gain/Loss:-$23.1+ Million

Verdict: Flop

Here’s a movie that did so poorly in it’s time in theaters that the studios pulled it completely from the big screens after five weeks and just dumped it to digital. To be fair, this is a rare case that I actually can’t blame the studio for making that movie so quickly. Whether it’s because too much time has passed since the original or it just flew under the radar for a lot of people, the sequel to Bob Odenkirk’s action franchise just did not get the same love and support that the original did (and even then, that didn’t really set the world of fire either). Between Nobody 2, The Final Reckoning, and last year’s flops of Monkey Man, Boy Kills World, and The Fall Guy, perhaps there isn’t as much of a crave for “masculine” action heroes that conservatives and alt-right online influencers would have you believe.

When you take all the box office results into account with the ways that most film analysts use to determine if the movie is a success or failure, this summer has had a total of nine movies that were successes, seven movies that were failures, and about five movies that did enough to break even.

What that tells me is that movie theaters are still not in a great spot but they are NOT ready to die out quite yet. While it’s a shame that certain films like The Fantastic Four- First Steps and Mission: Impossible– The Final Reckoning didn’t become the smash hits that were expected and that other films like Thunderbolts* and Elio ended up being massive bombs, this summer did show that there is at least a want and need for plenty of variety within theatrically released films.

You have live-action remakes, you have dinosaur action, you have horror thrills, you have action-comedies, you have rom-coms, and you have sports films! All of which were able to gain an audience in theaters and many of which were able to take some of the spotlight away from the kind of films that have dominated theaters in recent memory, particularly superheroes and video game adaptions.

That’s why I’m not too worried about the fact that a superhero film might not crack the top 10 of the year or that anime and re-releases might be taken more theater screenings! It doesn’t mean one genre is dying, it means more genres are EMERGING! The more genres of films that is resurrected and emerged, the more demographics are eager to see film in theaters, and the more money studios and theaters make! If Hollywood wants to keep theaters alive, THIS is the way to do it!

Because of that and more, I still believe there is still hope for movie theaters! There are still plenty of changes that need to be made (lower ticket prices/concessions, longer theatrical windows, longer time waiting for films to come to digital/streaming, more movie subscriptions/clubs….etc.) but if studios keep going with this direction while being able to contain a sustainable budget with most big movies they released, there might still be hope for movie theaters yet!

Blog Update

AdamLeave a comment

Hey, everyone! It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these but I just want to give you all a heads ups as to what’s been going on in my life, why I’ve been very off and on for the past few months and what my plans are for the remainder of 2025 and onto 2026!

First off, my personal life has been hitting me hard quite recently with personal issues regarding my family, my work, and social media in general. I have a family member that has been quite under weather for the majority of the year and I’m not sure how much time she has in this world. There has also been some division happening within my work, with both my co-workers and certain incidents that has taken a hit with me. And of course, social media more than ever has been very mental and emotionally draining, leaving me more and more depressed as each day goes by.

I’ve been trying really hard to fight through it all. I’m making my time to visit or check in on that family member whenever I can, I’m working through my struggles at work by trying to be more focused and determined to do the best work I can without getting into any trouble, and I’m trying to spend less time on social media so I don’t get sucked into narratives going on around the world that I have no part in.

As screwed up as the world has gotten in recent years, I don’t think it has taken a hit on me until this past year. I guess it’s because up to that point, I was able to avoid the majority of it and focus on my own personal life without much focus on anything else. But now, since I’m more aware than ever as to what’s going on around the world, I can’t help but not look away when something bad happens. You just never know when the next big disaster will occur! Right now, I’m doing my best to work through all of that and only worry about something when it affects me personally and not anyone else. Some of you might think that’s selfish but hey, right now I can only take care of myself and my family! If you don’t like that, then blame the modern world!

Next thing, a question that I think some of you have is why I’ve never completed my Superman film retrospective I did before the release of Superman (2025). I did every single standalone Superman movie but didn’t get around to doing Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and both Justice League cuts. The main answer is that I don’t think I could add much to that that hasn’t already been said in my Man of Steel retrospective or what has been said constantly about any of those films.

Yes, I loathed both cuts of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice! Yes, I was indifferent as hell towards one cut of Justice League while mostly enjoying the other! But at the end of the day, Zack Snyder’s take on Superman is just a take I don’t think works. Regardless of whether you look at it as a faithful take on the character or just it’s own interpretation of it, I’m just not a huge fan of Henry Cavil’s Superman, feeling he’s closer in spirit to Homelander than Kal El himself. He does have his moments in the film, especially in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, where he captures a bit of that Superman spirit but as a whole, I just can’t connect with the 2010s cinematic take on the man of tomorrow in the ways I do with Christopher Reeve or David Corenswet.

Lastly, I have been thinking about what I want to do on here for the rest of the year along with 2026. For the rest of 2025, I’m gonna try to go back to my original formula where I can crank out at least two pieces per week. I do have some ideas around subject matter I want to tackle along with wanting to update some rankings that I’ve been wanting to do for the past few weeks. So, look out for those!

For 2026, I’m wanting to use that year as being a return to form on here. The kind of return to form that I started when I became more active on here in 2022 and want to bring that spirit back. This includes things like bringing back reviews with new films and games, more in-depth pieces about what’s going on around pop culture, and also get back to talking more about sports.

2026 is expected to be a MASSIVE year in all of the things. It’s probably the biggest it’s been in sports and entertainment since at least 2019. I want to be as active on that as much as humanly possible. As long as nothing earth shattering gets in the way next year (which to be fair, there’s a good chance that WILL indeed happen), 2026 should be exciting as hell and have good enough stuff to get us all through what will likely be another tough year in life for all of us. (Please Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu! Don’t start World War 3 before GTA 6 comes out!)

But yeah, that’s basically all I got right now! If there is anything specific I want to get off my chance in the future, I will make sure to inform you all!

Until then, look forward to future content on this blog and I will see you all next time!

Stay safe out there, everybody!

Other comments:

  • I’ve also noticed lately that I’ve been getting more visitors from China in recent months! To anyone from China, welcome!

  • 来自中国的各位，欢迎来到我的博客！

The Best Movies of Summer 2025

AdamLeave a comment

We have reached the midpoint of August, which pretty much gives the indication that summer is coming to a close! Sure, it’s still hot as balls outside and pools don’t close until around Labor Day weekend but the kids are going back to school, the parents are heading back to work without worrying about their children making a mess at home, and movies are about to become boring for the next few months. As summer movie season begins to simmer down with the very last of the big Hollywood blockbusters releasing, let’s look back at the very best that the summer of 2025 had to offer in movie form.

Even if this was a summer with plenty of notable box office office disappointments (Thunderbolts*, Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Ballerina, M3GAN 2.0, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps) and certain films doing better than anyone could expect (F1, Jurassic World Rebirth, and Weapons), there were at least ten gems that was able to satisfy me that came out between the start of May until now.

These were ten films that I felt was worth paying full price to see in the cinemas or giving a watch on streaming the weekend it arrived. If you happen to be one of the poor, unlucky souls that weren’t able to catch it when it was in theaters or jump aboard the social media bandwagon when it arrived on streaming, I would strongly recommend checking these out whenever you can!

Let’s not waste anymore time and jump straight into my ten films of the summer!

FYI, this is NOT a numbered list or ranking but is only listed in the release date which each film came out!

Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts* pits the most unlikely scrappy anti-heroes of Marvel together, in a tale about the power of friendship and the dealings of mental health and depression. It’s easy to mistake this film as being a meta commentary of itself, where it’s about a team of unlikely super folks coming together in a time where superheroes have become a thing of the past and the world has moved on from them. However, what makes this stand out as well as it has is the chemistry and the development of the main cast that is front and center. Florence Pugh as Yelena remains one of the most engaging MCU leads post-Avengers: Endgame, Wyatt Russell still has the charm and charisma as dollar store Captain America, it’s always awesome to see Sebastian Stan as Bucky, and Lewis Pullman as Bob has one of the most compelling arcs in recent MCU history. It’s not quite an instant classic and some characters are giving rather harsh treatment (*cough* Ghost), but Thunderbolts* is a solid reminder as to what made the MCU work in the first place, putting the characters first and story, lore, and world building second.

Bring Her Back

Horror movie fans have been absolutely spoiled throughout the past several years and 2025 has been no exception! After Sinners became an instant vampire classic when it came out in April, Bring Her Back was able to follow suit with that once it came out around Memorial Day. After making a stellar first impression with Talk To Me, the Philippou brothers was able to follow suit by making a cautionary tale on dealing with loss and the eternal damnation of evil. This is a bold and sick horror flick, that will keep audiences on the edge of their seat and gross them up in the best of way (Please do NOT watch this film on an empty stomach!). There are some bold choices at the end that won’t work for anyone and I still believe Talk To Me is the best of the two films made by the Philippou brothers but Bring Her Back is still a must-watch for any fans of horror.

Predator: Killer of Killers

After successfully reviving the Predator IP with 2022’s Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg is able to make lighting strike twice in the form of animation with Predator: Killer of Killers! We see three different characters with new and unique stories of their own, forced to come together and take on the monstrous predator as swiftly as they can! Each of the three stories carries so hard on their own with much thematic weight to it, the animation is creative and stunning, the action is fast paced and fun, and who knew after so many installments, we are still able to find new and exciting ways to see human characters kill a bunch of predators! I do wish the resolution hadn’t been so rushed with an obvious sequel set up bait! Regardless, Killer of Killers proves that not only Predator still works in live-action but it can even work in animation too! Just like with Prey, my main regret is not being able to watch this film in the theaters! At least with we have Predator: Badlands coming out in November to scratch that itch!

F1

Coming off the highs of the box office juggernaut that was 2022’s Top Gun Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski follows that up with yet another incredibly well made and genuine crowd pleaser that was just made to be seen on the big screen! Brad Pitt is able to show off his star power as he enters his 60s and Damson Idris is a young movie star just waiting to burst out onto the scenes. The incredible racing sequences are worth the extra few dollars for IMAX, there’s a solid pace and momentum throughout despite the 150+ minute long runtime, the character drama works, the themes surrounding tough love, mentorship, teamwork, and redemption are all executed to near perfection, and even the standard cliches you would expect for these kind of racing movies have their special place here. If you can find an IMAX theater screening in your area that is playing this film, then go check this out as you will NOT want to miss the experience!

Superman (2025)

At long last, James Gunn has arrived to save the day with his own take on Superman while also aiming to give DC a second leash on live with a rebooted cinematic universe, formerly known as the DC Universe. The cast is all near perfect (the main trio of David Corneswet’s Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane & Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor could not have played off each other better), the tone feels right at home with classic Superman, the spectacle is cool, and it even has those traditional superhero elements from earlier superhero films such as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (Lighthearted feel, comic book-like features, colorful superheroes, and an engaging romance) that I have missed in these kinds of movies for so long. The plot itself does have many different elements in it, with many ideas and subject matter it wants to tackle all at once while incorporating social/political commentary of real world struggles that feels a bit ham-fisted. Even so, Superman (2025) still presents us a Superman we can get behind and absolutely root for, acting as the perfect counter-culture hero who values kindness in a world that no longer calls for that. And after over a decade of Superman portrayals that have ranged from him being moody and depressed to being flat out evil, it’s more than refreshing to see Superman here being someone that represents hope, optimism, and has absolutely NO agenda other than wanting to be a good person that saves people. If that’s not how Superman should be, then I don’t know what is.

K-Pop Demon Hunters

I never would’ve guessed that an animated film made by Sony would end up having the biggest impact among pop culture of all film releases this summer but nevertheless, the animated Netflix exclusive, K-Pop Demon Hunters is worth all the hype and then some! We follow a group of young female K-Pop superstars as they must juggle their work/personal life balance of being beloved rockstars while also during their part-time duty with slaying demons. Once they clash with a boy band, who happen to be rockstars but also demons at the same time, the girls are put to the test with trying to accomplish the best versions of themselves as singers and demon slayers. The animation is breathtaking, the characters are endearing, it moves at such a fast clip that it’s hard to not be entertained by anything happening, and the songs will be living rent free in your area for quite some time. If you have Netflix, there is no excuse for you to not give this one a watch!

The Fantastic Four- First Steps

It may have taken literally four tries (*in Emperor Palpatine’s voice* Ironic!) but Marvel Studios was FINALLY able to get their first family right on the big screen with their MCU debut in First Steps. What makes First Steps so unique is how it’s able to exist in it’s own little bubble outside of the main MCU, allowing for a visual style, cosmic-like feel, worldbuilding, and a refreshing sense of optimism we have had yet to see in the MCU for quite some time. All four members of the team get their own moments to shine (Even if I would’ve liked a bit more of The Thing) and even the humor gets toned down this time around, allowing for more dramatic and emotional beats to play out better than most recent MCU movies. It does feel a bit too fast paced at times, given the indication that an extra 10-15 minutes might’ve been trimmed down due to possible concerning test screenings, and there are certain characters I would’ve liked to see get more screen time but if your biggest complaint with a movie is that you want more, then that MUST mean it’s a good thing. Overall, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is quite simply (I promise no pun intended!) FANTASTIC and a promising new reset to a bright future for Marvel!

The Naked Gun

Comedy is sooooooooooo back! That’s all I gotta say! Just go watch this in theaters with a pack crowd and you will be saying the EXACT same thing! This will be the kind of movie that in 20 years, idiots/AI spam bots will be shouting, “THIS IS WHAT THEY TOOK FROM US!!!!!!!!!”

The Bad Guys 2

The Bad Guys 2 is able to continue the story of our beloved misfit animals, as they try to take their next step into society to be better people, even if society itself just won’t let them do that. When they see themselves getting into action when an all-female squad known as The Bad Girls, the crew comes out of retirement to doing what they are good at, just being plain bad. Everything you love about the original from an animated, comedic, and dramatic standpoint is still present throughout The Bad Guys 2, being able to capture the charm of the original while also able to blaze it’s own path from a narrative standpoint, setting the table for a very interesting Part Three. It may not feel as “fresh” as the original but The Bad Guys 2 is still able to deliver the Part Two goods that you expect from DreamWorks Animation. Please do support this one in theaters, I want The Bad Guys 3 in 2027/2028!

Weapons

Has if things couldn’t get any better than Sinners or Bring Her Back? Coming off of 2022’s Barbarian, Zach Cregger is able to deliver a horror follow-up in Weapons that is better in just about every way! This is like if you take Prisoners, Pulp Fiction, Insidious, Barbarian, and Evil Dead, put them all in a blender, and you get this absolute delightful treat as of result! It’s intense, perfectly paced, engaging as hell, will get under your skin in the best way possible, and will have you put together the pieces in very satisfying ways as soon as the credits roll. Plus, it might just have probably the most satisfying payoff of a climax that I have seen in a movie in 2025! Between this and Sinners, it’s nice to know that not only excellent original horror films are still getting made but they are able to be solid crowd pleasers that even the mainstream audience can get behind! I can only hope that this is a sign to come that Hollywood is willing to take more chances with not just horror but original films in general.

Ranking All The DC Comics Movies (25-1) (2/2)

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Since I felt putting all 57 DC Comic movies was a bit too much for one list, I decided to make a second post of it! That way, there’s most stability and this specific ranking doesn’t feel too clutter for one piece. My previous one was rankings from #57 to #26. This list will consist of #25 to #1!

No more time and filler! Let’s finish this MASSIVE movie ranking!

25.) Batman (1966)

24.) Watchmen

23.) Stardust

22.) Blue Beetle

21.) Aquaman

20.) Zack Snyder’s Justice League

19.) Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

18.) Teen Titans Go! To The Movies

17.) Road To Perdition

16.) Superman (2025)

15.) The Lego Batman Movie

14.) Superman II

13.) Shazam!

12.) A History of Violence

11.) V For Vendetta

10.) The Suicide Squad

9.) The Batman

8.) The Dark Knight Rises

7.) Batman (1989)

6.) Batman Begins

5.) Batman Returns

4.) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

3.) Wonder Woman

2.) Superman (1978)

1.) The Dark Knight

Ranking All The DC Comics Movies (57-26) (1/2)

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Now that Superman (2025) is now out in theaters, I decided to do something totally insane and rank every single DC movie ever! Not just the movies related to the DC Extended Universe or the brand new DC Universe but all theatrically-released films that have some sort of connection to DC. That includes all the Batman, Superman, DC imprints, and even animated films that have been released in theaters of all kind!

Throughout last year, I actually took the time to watch every other DC-related film that I haven’t got around to just for the sake of making this list. Why? Because I have no life whatsoever and I like making insane lists! That’s why!

But anyways, let’s get into list making and rank all 57 theatrically-released DC Comics films from best to worst! If you agree with this list, awesome! If you disagree, fine and I likely will by the time I actually publish this! Either way, let’s have some fun and rank these superhero flicks!

Btw, NO I’m not going into any sort of description of each said film because then this list would take a million years to make! I’m just gonna let the ranked number for each film speak for themselves!

57.) Catwoman

56.) Steel

55.) Jonah Hex

54.) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

53.) Joker Folie À Deux

52.) Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

51.) Superman IV: The Quest For Peace

50.) Batman: The Killing Joke

49.) Suicide Squad

48.) Justice League (2017)

47.) Wonder Woman 1984

46.) Batman & Robin

45.) Red 2

44.) Green Lantern

43.) Superman III

42.) The Kitchen

41.) Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom

40.) The Losers

39.) The Return of Swamp Thing

38.) Black Adam

37.) The Flash

36.) The League of Super-Pets

35.) Supergirl

34.) Man of Steel

33.) Superman Returns

32.) Batman: Forever

31.) Shazam!: Fury of the Gods

30.) Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

29.) Joker

28.) Red

27.) Constantine

26.) Swamp Thing

Ranking The Superman Movies

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At long last, Superman (2025) is now out in theaters, the first standalone Superman movie in over a decade and the first film set in the new DC Universe! Because of that, we now have ten films that have Superman in a large prominent role to rank from worst to best!

Superman has to be one of the most complicated superheroes in the history of DC Comics! While he is perhaps the most iconic superhero of all time, representing hope, optimism, and kindness in ways that no other superhero out there has, his films have had a long road of inconsistency and downright disappointment! There are certainly greatness to be sure but when looking through the entire filmography with Supes, you can definitely tell he has certainly NOT been given the love and care that say…..Batman has been given throughout his history in cinema!

Even so, we have ten movies to rank so let’s get right into ranking them!

10.) Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Nine years later, I’m still in awe how you take a crossover with two of the most well-known comic book heroes in Batman and Superman and make it so dull, lifeless, and joyless. Dawn of Justice is a film that wants to comes across as the most grand and ambitious movie every made, but when you look deep into it, this movie actually doesn’t have much to say on anything it’s talking about. Other than trying to cram two to three movies worth of material into one film, there’s nothing really risky or daring here and it’s so-called themes have been done much better in plenty of other superhero films. The plot is a convoluted mess no matter which version you watch, all of the Superman characters from Clark to Lois to Lex Luthor to Doomsday are all done INCREDIBLY dirty, and the conflict between Batman and Superman is so incredibly ridiculous that it could have been avoided if they would just simply talk to each other.

Ben Affleck is fine as Batman and there’s a few standout moments here (The warehouse fight scene and Wonder Woman’s first appearance are all-timers) but that’s nowhere near enough to save this turd of a film. Even the ultimate edition which many claim “saves” the movie really just has more of the same things that were wrong in the first place, aside from being pacing. If there is a clear difference between ambition and aimlessness, then Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice certainly strikes the finest line yet between those two definitions with results that fit more of the latter than the former.

This is a movie so bad that it not only arguably killed the DC Extended Universe before it even got going but also caused big damage to Superman’s reputation in pop culture, leading an entire generation of folks who firmly believe THIS is what Superman was always meant to be like when it’s absolutely NOT! I know tomatoes are going to be thrown at me for putting this at the very bottom but I’m sorry! When looking at it as both a DC superhero movie AND a Superman movie, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Both the theatrical and ultimate edition!) is an epic failure on every level!

9.) Superman IV: The Quest For Peace

If you thought Batman & Robin was the perfect example of superhero movies hitting rock bottom in the pre-21st century, then you should check out what they did to Supes in Superman IV: The Quest For Peace. Not only is this easily one of the worst superhero movies ever, it’s by far one of the worst main budgeted movies ever made. Even at the time of it’s release, the flaws that is presented on screen are so glaringly obvious!

It looks incredibly cheap with clearly unfinished special effects, obvious green screen, lazy as hell editing, and absolutely godawful transaction from one scene to the next. Throw in an absurdly stupid script, laughable dialogue, social/political commentary that doesn’t work in the slightest, no sense of logic, sense, or flow to anything happening on screen, and incredibly phoned-in performances and you get quite the big shitty picture. Even if you can argue that this film should be seen as a “so bad it’s good” kind of movie like Batman & Robin, the latter looks like an effing Stanley Kubrick film compared to this trainwreck!

With Quest For Peace, this represented Superman at his absolute low point back in 1987. Not only was this when audience stop caring about Superman but even Warner Bros themselves stopped caring for him too. This was so bad that it had take nearly 20 years for Superman to returned to the big screen because of how much this film (and the previous one) had tarnished his reputation! What an absolutely crappy end to easily the best Superman ever in Christopher Reeve!

8.) Justice League (2017)

It’s unbelievable how not only the first ever live-action Justice League movie doesn’t work, but it has to be one of the most forgettable superhero movies ever made. It’s clear that Warner Bros and company where so caught off guard over the backlash that Dawn of Justice received that they brought in Joss Whedon, after Snyder stepped down in part due to the passing of his daughter, in the hopes of providing the same spark he gave to The Avengers. Not only is that course correction painfully obvious on screen but mixing the visions of Whedon and Snyder could not have led to more disastrous results.

This is like the equivalent of a superb Japanese anime getting butchered in the English version by 4Kids, filled with jarring editing, censoring, and scripting to make it more “kid” friendly. Justice League (2017) (also known as JOSStice League) comes across as more of a straight-to-dvd Avengers knock-off that you would find at the bargain bin at the Dollar Store than an actual Justice League movie. The tone is all over the place, the reshoots are as clear as daylight it’s embarrassing, and it’s edited into incredibly bite sized pieces that you can tell were only done just so the movie can finish under two hours.

A handful of moments (or at least the ones I can remember) are cool in their own right (It’s always cool to see Wonder Woman on screen saving people) and is is nice to see Henry Cavill represent a bit of Christopher Reeves here (despite it making no sense in the context of the universe) but it’s incredibly unforgiveable just how cheap, hollow, and unmemorable this whole experience is. When even a remix of Danny Elfman’s iconic Batman theme can’t win me over, you know your movie has failed!

7.) Superman III

You ever heard of the term “third time’s the charm”? Well, that is CERTAINLY not how you can describe Supes’ third official film! Superman III was basically when the Superman franchise started to lose all of the hearts and wonders that it had from the beginning and started to descend to what it was never suppose to be. While the previous film had major behind the scenes drama that it was able to greatly overcome, the threequel with the man of tomorrow does the exact opposite of that.

Instead of having heart and wonder, it’s now just gags and slap stick. Instead of having important social/political commentary that resembles the world of Superman perfectly, it’s now just mindless action and explosion everywhere. Instead of intimidating villains that pose a real threat to our heroes, they are now just cartoon characters that you can’t take seriously. Instead of being smart, it’s now a self-parody! Putting all of this crap together, you get a complete mess in Superman III!

It’s hard to tell if how much of the studio politics played into the decision making of the film, how much of the film was what Lester wanted, and/or if this film would have even been made at all if Warner Bros wasn’t able to overpay Christopher Reeve to get him to come back, but Superman III follows victim to many disappointing threequels out there, forgetting what made it’s franchise successful in the first place and crushing the entire foundation in the process. What makes this third chapter stink more than most of them though is it’s lack of desire to be as engaging, interesting, or entertaining as the previous two Superman films were! That’s what you get when you become a self-parody!

6.) Man of Steel

The DC Extended Universe kicked off in 2013 with one of the most polarizing superhero movies of all time in Man of Steel. Looking back on it nearly a full decade later, I can’t help but have INCREDIBLY frustrating emotions when it comes to this film. In terms of casting, tone, action scale, scope, and score, this is everything that a modern Superman movie should consist off. However, when it comes to the overall story, characterization, script, and structure, it misses the mark completely!

Most of the characters come off as plot devices and motivation for Superman than actual characters, the dialogue strikes a fine line between being poetic/inspiring and just plain pretentious, and it’s overall themes feel not so much explored but just told directly to the audiences. The action is dynamic, the cast do great with what they have to work with, and the scope and Han Zimmer’s soundtrack are off the charts that it’s almost good enough to convince you that you are watching a much better film than you actually are! The elements that work are absolutely great while the elements that don’t work really bring down the whole picture.

When looking at it’s own thing and the seeds it plants for the future, Man of Steel could have been considered a solid re-introduction to the character of Superman and one that could successfully redefined Superman to a new generation. However, due to it’s shortcomings and the movies which came after tripling down on the things that don’t work rather than what does, you can’t help but see wasted potential. As it’s own thing, Man of Steel might be functional on a surface level but not on a depth level. Henry Cavill deserved better than this!

5.) Superman Returns

I’ve always had a complicated history with Superman Returns. It was the very first Superman movie I had ever watch from beginning to end. I couldn’t help but hate this movie and find myself hating Superman as a result. I just couldn’t fully buy into a superhero that’s all “Mr. Goody Two Shoes” and only has any important use as Superman but NOT Clark Kent. However, now that nearly two decades have passed by and seeing more bleak portrayals of the character as both a definite version and as a self-parody (A.K.A. Homelander from The Boys), I can’t help but have more respect in the way that Superman Returns portrays Superman.

It feels refreshing to see a film that is the cinematic equivalent of Superman/Clark being a friendly guy who saves people. It’s feels refreshing to see a Superman that always looks for the good in people and not just assumes the worst. It feels refreshing to see Superman have his own unique abilities and weaknesses without making him completely perfect. More importantly, it feels refreshing to see a Superman that completely embodies truth and justice. For all of the flaws that can be said for Superman Returns, this is the one element I can completely get behind. This might’ve not been the kind of Superman I (along with many others) was looking for back in 2006 but in the year 2025, I most certainly support it.

It’s unfortunate tho that Superman Returns is still a frustratingly mixed bag. It crosses the fine line between ambition and aimlessness by waiting to be the faithful third chapter to Christopher Reeve’s Superman that Superman III wasn’t while also wanting to work at it’s own standalone Superman film set in the 21st century. In so doing so, it undermines itself by failing to advance the characters the way they were back in the early 1980s and making them work in their own rights in the mid 2000s. With that amount of disconnect in terms of narrative, continuity to the prior movies, lack of action (outside of the amazing plane sequence) and failing to find an overall identity for itself along with the complete lack of action, Returns ultimately falls short of it’s notable good intensions.

4.) Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Because we live in some dark and twisted form of an alternate universe, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a real thing now. Truth be told, even if you remove yourself from the toxicity that is the Zack Snyder fanbase (I won’t blame you if you can’t!), it’s actually pretty good with a lot more to like here than there is to hate. This is probably the one movie in the DC Extended Universe with Zack Snyder that doesn’t feel overly pretentious but more of just the man wanting to make the most epic Justice League movie he can possibly make. For the most part, he succeeds even if some of the faults from his other films are carried over here.

The first half is way too stretched out for it’s own good, feeling like Snyder is trying to get every single little frame of work that he desires in there regardless if it actually serves a purpose. There’s also the final fifteen minutes that feels more like a collection of post credit scenes rather than an actual epilogue. Even so, there’s good action set pieces, a nice & riveting score, memorable gorgeous visuals, and solid character interactions between all of the Justice League members, with Wonder Woman and Cyborg being the main standouts. And this also feels like the first time in Snyder’s films that the superheroes on screen actually act and feel like superheroes instead of just being all sad and mopey all the time. What a time to be alive!

While there’s still faults from the theatrical cut that are carried over here (*cough* Steppenwolf and Flash *cough*), this is certainly an improvement over the theatrical cut and should most certainly be considered the actual definite version of Justice League. If anything, this was about the closest that Snyder got to making a faithful and truthful Superman. At least here, he actually feels like a superhero that wants the best for humanity and now…..whatever the hell the previous two films portrayed him as. Warts and all, this is easily the best DC superhero film that Zack Snyder has ever made!

3.) Superman (2025)

At long last, James Gunn has arrived to save the day with his own take on Superman while also aiming to give DC a second leash on live with a rebooted cinematic universe, formerly known as the DC Universe. The good news is that Mr. Gunn is able to provide a Superman that not only resembles the character for who he is suppose to be at his core but also feels timely and warranted in our own bitter, cynical world we inhabit in today. The bad news is by wanting to start a cinematic universe here, it shows distinct cracks in the armor by overstuffing the film with multiple characters and subplots that don’t always work to their fullest potential.

The cast is all near perfect (the main trio of David Corneswet’s Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane & Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor could not have played off each other better), the tone feels right at home with classic Superman, the spectacle is cool, and it even has those traditional superhero elements from earlier superhero films such as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (Lighthearted feel, comic book-like features, colorful superheroes, and an engaging romance) that I have missed in these kinds of movies for so long. However, the plot itself feels very overstuffed, with too many ideas and subject matter it wants to tackle all at once while feeling the need to shoehorned supporting characters that while cool, really don’t serve much purpose other than to set them up for future films and shows. It almost feels as if Gunn was forced by studios to cut down on the runtime so there could be more screenings, with the film lacking the extra 15 to 20 minutes it could have REALLY used.

Even so, Superman (2025) still presents us a Superman we can get behind and absolutely root for, acting as the perfect counter-culture hero who values kindness in a world that no longer calls for that. And after over a decade of Superman portrayals that have ranged from him being moody and depressed to being flat out evil, it’s more than refreshing to see Superman here being someone that represents hope, optimism, and has absolutely NO agenda other than wanting to be a good person that saves people. If that’s not how Superman should be, then I don’t know what is.

2.) Superman II

It’s nearly impossible to look at Superman II on it’s own terms when you take into account all of the behind-the-scenes drama that plagued it’s development. From director changes to studio interference to creative indifferences, the sequel to it’s largely successful 1978 game changing predecessor could’ve been dead on arrival. Yet, somehow and someway, Superman was able to prevail once again despite having basically everything stacked against him.

This is still able to continue to story of Clark Kent/Superman in a very respectful way, showcasing a vulnerable side of Clark in which he is forced to continue his life without his super powers, something which superhero films such as Spider-Man 2 took clearly inspiration from. The action scenes still hold up well, Zod makes for a very worthy foe to Superman, there’s plenty of nice humor thrown in, and there’s several emotional beats that pay off as well as it can. It’s just a shame that it’s hard to get the complete full picture of the “perfect” version of Superman II due to it’s troubled production and director changes.

I will say despite the two different versions of Superman II that I’ve seen, my opinion on the film is largely the same. In the sense, that it’s a very, VERY good sequel that perhaps falls JUST of the greatness the original film had, largely due to these conflicting directorial visions and feeling the need to pull it’s punches more times than not. Had we got one complete version from either Richard Donner or Richard Lester from beginning of production to the very end, then I think we could have a film that was even better than Superman: The Movie. Even so, I still would consider it to be the second best Superman movie to date and a worthy sequel to the original overall.

1.) Superman (1978)

Before the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and the multiple DC Cinematic universe attempts, even before the likes of Blade (1998), X-Men (2000), and Spider-Man (2002) rolled around, and even before Tim Burton’s or Joel Schumacher’s Batman made their ways onto the scene, there was one superhero movie that stood proudly on his own. Not only working as a near perfect example of what a superhero movie should consist of but it set the template and tropes on how a superhero movie or even a blockbuster in general should operated. That one film I’m talking about is no other than Superman (1978), directed by Richard Donner and played by the OG Superman himself, Christopher Reeves.

No matter what way you look at, Superman (1978) works in nearly every single way in which it was suppose to. The origin of seeing Clark Kent’s journey to becoming Superman is perfectly handled, every member of the cast fits their roles like a glove and acts as the definite versions of their characters, the themes and messages still resonate, the pacing takes it’s time but it always makes it worth it, the musical score by the legendary John Williams is excellent, and I imagine there was just no special feeling than seeing Superman fly around and saving people on screen for the first time ever back in 1978.

Superman (1978) was the superhero movie that changed everything! It proved that a film based off of a comic book superhero can work and translate onto the big screen as well as it possibly can. It proved that big cinematic experiences of this kind can be just as compelling as say a giant space opera or an intense thriller involving a big shark. And most importantly, it proved that comic books and superheroes can shine a very bright light on pop culture, telling stories with impactful themes and unforgettable role models that anyone can look up to (No pun intended!)! Because of all and so much more, Superman (1978) is still the best Superman film ever made and one of the best superhero movies of all time period!

Man of Steel (2013)- A Superman For A “Modern Audience”

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Well, that title is certainly quite the click-bait, isn’t it?!

I do wanna make something clear that when I claim that Man of Steel is a Superman made for a “modern audience”, I am NOT referring to THAT kind of “modern audience”, A.K.A. the one that gets described in this current day and age, particularly by a certain OBNXIOUS movie review who shall NOT be named! But…..if you know, you know!

Back in 2013, the term, “modern audience” meant a very different thing. It didn’t mean so much about changing classic IPs to align a proper race/gender ratio and what was considered to be the “correct” politics back in the early 2010s but more of finding a way to gain a new generation of fans by updating classic IPs to have them fit in the so-called “modern” era.

In the case of Man of Steel, it attempts to update Superman in a way that removes itself from the light heart, campy days of Christopher Reeve and lean more into the dark, gritty, and realistic nature of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. This was a move that I imagine was done to try to capitalize on the success of those three Batman films, along with promoting Christopher Nolan’s involvement as co-writer and executive producer to boost ticket sales.

It’s also worth mentioning about the complicated development history of Man of Steel. Originally, the film was meant to act as a full-on reboot and as it’s own standalone film, hoping it’s success would lead to MoS as being Part 1 of a new Superman trilogy after Superman Returns turned out to be such a massive disappointment. However, during the film’s development, Marvel’s The Avengers released worldwide and it ended up being an absolute (No pun intended!) Hulk smash hit! And after numerous of failed attempts at starting their own cinematic universe of superheroes with the likes of Superman Returns and more recently Green Lantern (Don’t remind Ryan Reynolds of that!), DC and Warner Bros decided that they wanted Man of Steel to act as the launching pad for their brand new DC Extended Universe, finally finding their answer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

However, instead of being lighthearted and comedic like most of the films under the Marvel Studios’ umbrella are, they wanted this universe to be more dark, gritty, and realistic in terms of tone and feel. Not only because they just didn’t want to blatantly copy and paste the same tone and feel that Marvel has but that was what also what made DC superhero films stand out on their own compared to Marvel for better or worse. And considering that DC and WB was coming straight off of The Dark Knight films, pretty much their only notable film successes with comic book superheroes in recent memory, they clearly wanted to ride that train as much as they can in the hopes of acting as a perfect countermeasure to Marvel.

Because of that, Man of Steel became not just the beginning of this newest iteration of Clark Kent/Superman played by Henry Cavill but also the new age of DC films from here on out. Because back in the 2010s, literally EVERYTHING had to be a cinematic universe or else you just didn’t get with the program. Regardless of the end results of this particularly cinematic universe over a decade later, I think it’s important to look at this film as it’s own thing like it was originally intended to. Was Zack Snyder able to make Superman work in the year 2013 and be able to bring in a new “modern” audience for the man of tomorrow? Well……it’s complicated!

It’s no secret that Man of Steel was one of the most polarizing superhero films of all time when it came out 12 years ago and it’s still highly debated to this very day. From it’s more broody tone to it’s gloriously excessive actions to the way it’s tells it’s story and some of the narrative/character choices the film makes, it has certainly left PLENTY of room for discussion among fans, critics, and the general audience. And I think a good majority of that has to do with the changes made to the source material in order to have Superman fit in the more “modern” times.

Instead of having a Superman sticking to his morals of hope and optimism, you now have a Superman that dares to question his morals and feels more grim than hopeful about the way he goes about his superhero ways. Instead of having a Clark Kent that is able to adjust to the modern world smoothly with only a handful of critics against him, you now have a Clark Kent that is unable to adjust to the modern world because almost everybody hates him since he’s an alien and not human. Instead of having a Man of Tomorrow that is able to preserve collateral damage and saves civilians lives at every turn, you now have a Man of Tomorrow that causes so much destruction and chaos while only saving a civilian if they are in his way or just happens to bump into one that is in danger. While these changes might fit for a “modern” take on Superman, it’s not one that seems to fit with the character’s overall history.

And of course, you also have the most controversial decision made in the film. Instead of having a Superman that has a moral stance against killing no matter what, you now have a Superman that goes as far as to kill his main opponent because he believes there could be no other outcome except that.

When looking at those factors, this can be seen as quite a betrayal for what Superman stands for. Man of Steel doesn’t so much feel like it’s trying to honor the Superman mythos but more trying to deconstruct and dissect it, given the impression that it’s deeper and more mature than your typical superhero flick when it’s really not. It’s a film that can be seen as mistaking dourness and pro-faced seriousness for depth and nuance. It’s a world that feels too much of a bleak reflection off our current world rather than it’s own unique world for Superman. This is a Superman that has more in line with Homelander from The Boys before Homelander from The Boys was even a thing.

The thing is though is that it COULD’VE gotten away from this if they tried. If they were able to use this dark and broody approach of Superman to have him become brighter and more hopeful by the end of the film. If they were able to use it’s massive scope and action sequences to deliver real stakes and hard hitting character moments. If they were able to use it’s motivational speeches and lines from the trailer to have it actually mean something in the grand scheme of things. If they were able to use it’s dark tone and feel for a purpose and not just because……that’s what The Dark Knight did. If they were able to deconstruct and dissect the traditional Superman mythos while also remember to put the pieces back into place.

And make no mistake, there are PLENTY of standout moments in Man of Steel where you can see that potential. You got the modern technology that’s able to deliver the Dragon Ball Z-like fights scenes that die hard fans have always dreamed off seeing on the big screen. You got a cast full of immensely talented cast that feel right for their roles. You got a grand musical score in Han Zimmer that gives the film it’s own gloom yet beautiful beating heart to it, almost feeling like it’s own character. You even got a structure which if done right, could be a fresh and inventive way of telling a Superman origin story that has been told many times over, having Batman Begins be to origin stories what Into the Spider-Verse has been to animation!

When it comes to elements such as action, scale, scope, casting, score, special effects, and ideas in terms of narrative, this is everything that a modern Superman film should consist off. And if we are to grade this film strictly from a technical and sound perspective, this should be the perfect Superman film for a “modern” audience. The kind of film that not only gains a new legion of fans but inspires a generation of upcoming filmmakers and lovers of superheroes to make their own work based off the man of tomorrow! The kind of film that would make the O.G. Clark Kent, Christopher Reeve, the O.G. Lois Lane, Margot Kiddler, and the O.G. Superman behind the camera himself, Richard Donner, very proud! Unfortunately, aside from an INCREDIBLY diehard fanbase/cult that Zack Snyder has gain over the years, Man of Steel fails to live up to those ideals that it DESEPREATELY wants to strive towards.

While nearly everything from the technical side of things, sound and audio side of things, acting side of things, and action/scale side of things are aces, the overall story and script leaves PLENTY to be desired. Most of the characters come off as plot devices and motivation for Superman than actual characters, the dialogue strikes a fine line between being poetic/inspiring and just being plain pretentious, the way it’s tell it’s origin story feels so disjointed and scattershot because it’s being told in non-chronologically, and it’s overall themes feel not so much explored but just told directly to the audiences, given the impression that the film thinks it’s too “smart” for it’s audience. It has all the elements that makes for an amazing trailer but NOT for an amazing film.

That’s might be just why I was actually quite a big fan of this film when I first saw it back in 2013. I SAW the potential when watching it with my very eyes on the big screen. I was blown away by the visuals, inspired by the quotes made for the trailers, was thrilled by the non-stop action and explosions, and found the morals to be interpreted in a way that I always imagined a modern Superman film should consist of. And because of that, I wore rose-colored glasses the whole way through because I just assumed I didn’t actually need to critique or analyze because well….the film was too smart for me that I didn’t think I needed to bother.

That is also why the more I’ve thought about Man of Steel over the years and the more times I’ve gone back and rewatched it, it…….kinda gets worse for me. Once I’m able to take those rose-colored glasses off, all I see are amazing concepts, ideas, and potential that is never has fully utilized as well as it should be. It’s a film full of eye popping moments but not one that commits to being a consistent narrative or a grand vision of it’s own. It’s a film that is loaded with action but fails to deliver consequential stakes due to Superman and Zod being practically invisible and the film failing to make the city of Metropolis and it’s people it’s own distinct character. It’s a film that has inspirational quotes and lines of dialogue that don’t amount anything to the story or characters. It’s a film that thinks it’s being faithful to Superman while also wanting to critique him in ways that I don’t think the filmmakers intended. Quite simply, it falls short of it’s ambition.

If there is one thing that I think anyone can agree upon regarding this film is that Man of Steel should NOT have been a film that kicked off a new DC universe with. It’s bizarre tone and feel is NOT one that can work as a consistent one for an entire cinematic universe of cinematic storytelling. Plus, Zack Snyder up to that point (and even now) has been quite a divisive filmmaker with an incredibly distinct vision that isn’t really appealing to mainstream audiences. Up to that point, the only film in Snyder’s filmography that had great appeal to mainstream audiences was his 2005 remake of Dawn of the Dead, which was also co-written by James Gunn (Don’t tell the Snyder bros that!).

This is honestly why I believe Man of Steel should have taken place in it’s own universe with Superman without any ties to the other DC characters. Similar to that of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and Matt Reeve’s Batman universe, the world of Man of Steel should have been one that should have existed in it’s own terms and merits, being able to explore it’s ideas and concepts with multiple films and potential spin-offs. Plus, it’s more bleak and somber tone could’ve been one that worked more comfortably with more limited installments instead of with a whole decades worth of superhero cinematic content with different characters and stories.

If it was given a chance to be it’s own thing while also having planted seeds of it’s own that it was able to grow upon with future standalone Superman sequels, Man of Steel could have been seen as a grand re-introduction to the character of Superman and one that could successfully redefined Superman to a new generation the same way that Christopher Nolan did with Batman. However, due to it’s shortcomings, it’s obligation to start a new DC universe, and the follow-ups which came after tripling down on the things that don’t work rather than what does, you can’t help but see wasted potential. As it’s own thing, Man of Steel is functional on a surface level but not on a depth level.

I sure hope now that James Gunn is taking over Superman and is looking to create a new generation of Superman fans of it’s own, I sure hope he is able to learn from Zack Snyder’s shortcoming here. Make sure you know EXACTLY the kind of film you are making and the message you are trying to convey to the audience! If you are gonna create a new version of Superman for a “modern” audience, make sure to at LEAST capture the spirit of what the character has always stand for and only make changes that fit with the overall narrative and not ones for the sake of change!

Make those same mistakes and we might have another Man of Steel on our hands!

Next Up: Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

Superman Returns (2006)- Identity Crisis

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It took nearly two decades but Superman finally returned onto the big screen in 2006 with Superman Returns. Coming off the cinematic disaster that was Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, DC and Warner Bros seemed to have no clue how in the world to tackle Superman in cinematic form. After the flame with the Christopher Reeve run as Superman died out, it seemed like no one would be excited for a new Superman movie ever again. Sure, there was a handful of famous cartoons, straight-to-DVD animated movies, and at least one video game (*cough* Superman 64 *cough*) but in terms of cinematics, it felt like a near impossible task to get Superman back onto the big screen in a post-Christopher Reeve world.

However, 19 years later, they were able to give it another shot. Directing this time around was no other than Bryan Singer, who have just come off his own recent comic book success with the first two X-Men films and even jumped ship on the third one strictly for Superman. And Clark Kent himself would be played by Brandon Routh, who was able to beat out Henry Cavill in auditions, the man who would later become the next Superman seven years later in Man of Steel.

Although, things would be different than the prior Superman movies. This would introduce a brand new Superman and a brand new actor playing him but it wouldn’t be strictly a reboot or remake. This would introduce a more warm and mature tone that wouldn’t match the optimistic and lighthearted feel of the former Superman movies nor the dark and bleak feel of what the latter Superman movies would be like. Most importantly, this would act as it’s own version of Superman 3 & 4, retconning Superman III and Superman IV entirely, but would also be set in it’s own distinct timeline with enough distance from the very first two Superman movies in order to fit into the current climate of when this film came out.

If that sounds like a jumbling mess to you, that’s because it absolutely is. Superman Returns is a film with a clear identity crisis. It’s unsure of how far it wants to go with respecting the past that’s it unable to blaze towards it’s own future. It wants to stand strictly on it’s own terms, being able to properly introduce Superman to an audience who weren’t alive during the Christopher Reeve days, but also wants to act as it’s own version of Superman III, in order to appeal to the longtime fans that had been waiting nearly two decades for a new Superman movie. And the inconsistency on display can be seen within the characters themselves and their connections to the first two movies.

Like if this is suppose to be a sequel to the first two movies, then why have this movie be set in the 2000s? How does Lois Lane still not know Clark Kent is Superman when she literally had his kid? Didn’t she find out Supe’s identity in Superman II? Plus, why does she look 10X younger than Margot Kiddler? As a matter of fact, why does everyone else look younger here than they did FIVE years ago?! Why would Superman go AWOL for five years looking for a remaining Kryptonians when he had already accepted their fates over two movies ago after beating Zod? How is it that Lex Luthor is just NOW getting released from prison at around the exact same time that Superman comes back? And do I even need to mention all the 2000s era product placement that practically breaks the timeline of this movie when you so much as breath on it?

It’s frustrating because on paper, a proper redo of the last two Superman movies could make for a bittersweet bow tie of the original Superman era while also making away for a brand new path. It could make for a nice “fixing the past to make for a better future” franchise metaphor that was the driving for for Bryan Singer’s very next superhero film he would direct with X-Men: Days of Future Past. Giving Brandon Routh his own Superman that captures the spirit of Christopher Reeves Superman and then be giving the chance to shine in his own spotlight in the future would have made for a nice passing of the touch between generational Superman actors. Unfortunately, because the continuity is so messed up and the characters feel so inconsistent compared to prior movies, the big emotional connection just doesn’t work here.

The other issue among the film is the desire to move away from being a typical summer blockbuster action flick. Because of that, this film is very light on action. The most memorable standout action sequences include the famous plane scene, Superman stopping bullets being shot at him, and the sequences where Lex and his goons beat up a wounded Superman. Aside from that, outside of your traditional flying sequences and brief moments where Superman saves some people, this is probably the Superman film with the least amount of action, a criticism that Man of Steel would later take and completely overdo the action as a result. This wouldn’t be so bad if at least everything else was engaging and exciting but it just isn’t.

Which is all frustrating because I do think this film does represent the perfect balance between the tone of the Christopher Reeve films and Henry Cavil films. It’s able to not be too campy and over-the-top that plagued the last two Superman films but also not be way too dark, somber, and bleak that sunk the very next Superman film. It has perhaps the most mature tone out of all the Superman movies to date, a tone that hopefully James Gunn is able to recapture with his own film coming out next week. When folks wonder what kind of tone and feel that they want in a modern Superman film, I’m pretty sure they would say this tone is a direct answer. In that case, I would agree entirely.

I’ve always had a complicated history with Superman Returns. It was the very first Superman movie I had ever watch from beginning to end. Because of that, I couldn’t help but hate this movie and find myself hating Superman as a result. I just couldn’t fully buy into a superhero that’s all “Mr. Goody Two Shoes” and only has any important use as Superman but NOT Clark Kent. If he doesn’t have superpowers, he can’t do anything. The main sequence of the film that showcases that is when Lex and his guards beat up Superman, stabbed him, and forces him off a cliff, presumably killing him. However, now that nearly two decades have passed by and seeing more bleak portrayals of the character as both a definite version and as a self-parody (take Homelander from The Boys), I can’t help but have more respect in the way that Superman Returns portrays Superman.

It’s feels refreshing to see a film that is the cinematic equivalent of Superman/Clark being a friendly guy who saves people. It’s feels refreshing to see a Superman that always looks for the good in people and not that just assumes the worst. It feels refreshing to see Superman have his own unique abilities and weaknesses without making him completely perfect. More importantly, it feels refreshing to see a Superman that completely embodies truth and justice. For all of the flaws that can be said for Superman Returns, this is the one element I can completely get behind. This might’ve not been the kind of Superman I (along with many others) was looking for back in 2006 but in the year 2025, I most certainly support it.

Much like many Superman films that have come after the first two Reeve films, Superman Returns is a frustrating mixed bag. It crosses the fine line between ambition and aimlessness by waiting to be the faithful third chapter to Christopher Reeve’s Superman that Superman III wasn’t but in so doing so, undermines itself by failing to advance the characters the way they were back in the early 1980s while also wanting to be a standalone film that’s set in the 2000s. With that amount of disconnect in terms of narrative and overall identity for itself along with the complete lack of action, Superman Returns ultimately falls short of it’s notable good intensions.

That being said, I still am grateful that this film exists. Not just because this was my introduction to Superman (even if it wasn’t a great one when I first watched it), but because it shows that it is possible to adapt Superman in the 21st century as a noble man with good intentions and not just as another Batman clone. And if what we are seeing and hearing about James Gunn’s Superman is any indication, we might just be getting the best possible version of that!

Next Up: Man of Steel

Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987)- When Nothing Matters Anymore

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Welp, this is about as bad as a Superman film can get! And about as bad as a superhero movie can get! And about as bad as well…..anything can get!

Superman IV: The Quest For Peace represented a complete rock bottom for not just Superman but the entire comic book movie genre up to that point! Even after the severely underperforming and poorly received Superman III, Warner Bros and DC still felt they could squeeze at least one more feature film with the man of tomorrow! The problem though is that the anticipation for a new Superman film was at an all time low in 1987!

Even though Alexander Salking and his son Ilya, the producers of the Superman series, was able to get the box office grosses they wanted from Superman III, there was very little enthusiasm from the cast and crew to do a fourth one. Christopher Reeve was hesitant on returning, they couldn’t get Richard Lester to come back, and the commercial failure of 1984’s Supergirl made the Salkings consider that perhaps this DC franchise had run its course. Regardless, they pushed through with another installment anyway!

Christopher Reeve was offered six million dollar signs from the studio to come back one more time, they were able to get Sidney J. Furie to take over the director’s chair (which originally went to Wes Craven before he dropped out due to him and Reeve not getting along), and decided that the whole story would be about Superman trying to solve the nuclear arm crisis from around the world, which was a major talking point during Ronald Reagan’s presidency throughout the 1980s. If even a word of what I just said sounds appealing to you, then I can assure you…..Superman IV: The Quest For Peace is anything BUT that!

Superman IV: The Quest For Peace is not only what happens when a franchise stops caring but when the people involved don’t even try to hide the fact that they are not trying anymore! From the obvious green screen effects to the lazy editing to the phoned-in performances to the awful transaction from scene-to-scene, Quest For Peace is what you get when the people involved with it feels like nothing matters anymore! Throw in an absurdly stupid script that defies any sorts of logic, dialogue that had to make the actors themselves feel embarrassed to say out loud, and no sense of flow or rhythm in terms of pacing and structure and you get quite a shitty picture!

The biggest comparison of this complete low point of Superman could be to that of when Batman had his own low point with the abominable Batman & Robin (which would come out 10 years later after this movie). Just like that other notable DC cinematic disaster that came out in the 20th century, that also saw the titled character at his absolute low point, leading into becoming a full-on parody, adapting a “we don’t care how stupid and dumb this all is” mindset, and having the only goal from behind the scenes is to sell as many toys and action figures to children as possible. However, I think Superman IV leans much worse than that!

As much as both films can lean into the “so bad it’s good” category among the most memorable superhero movies, Batman and Robin seemed like a much more competent product compared to Supes’s own fourth movie. It had it’s handful of heartfelt moments (most notably that special scene between Bruce & Alfred), a unique visual vibe that’s full of bright lights and colors that makes the film look pretty to look at, and had such an bizarrely over-the-top campiness to it that you can help but be gloriously entertained by it. Superman IV has none of those unique traits whatsoever.

There are no moments of heart, no moments of genuine emotion, no interesting way of telling it’s story about it’s current topics surrounding global annihilation, and no menacing bad guys that feels like a legit threat to our heroes. All we get is a dull, lifeless, and cheap-looking trainwreck where the only parts of genuine entertainment are the moments that are downright awful so much so that it’s HILARIOUS!

I mean who didn’t get some laughs at some of the most RIDICULOUS moments scattered throughout the film! Remember all the flying sequences with Superman that looks like it was shot in a backyard? Or when Superman is able to gain new powers out of nowhere just because? Or when the main bad guy tells Superman that if he doesn’t tell where Lois is, then he will “hurt” people? And then proceeds to stand out and do a bunch of random stuff while Superman is just staying shouting, “STOP! DON’T DO IT! THE PEOPLE!” Or when Superman loses a battle because….the main villain….scratches him in the neck? Or how about just about any moment where Lex Luthor tries to pronounce the word, “nuclear”? Or how about the fact the whole reason Superman is doing anything in this movie at all is because……a kid wrote him a letter, asking Superman to get all the missiles in the world and get them off the planet, solving the nuclear crisis just…..like that?

Believe it or not, these are moments I honestly COULD forgive or just shake off as being pointless nitpicks if the rest of the film was actually engaging or interesting! But Superman IV is anything BUT that! Even Superman III, despite it’s severe flaws in terms of story and tone, was at least somewhat engaging because of the fact that something was ALWAYS going on that you couldn’t help but have your eyes on the screen because of that! With Superman IV, you basically have to cherry pick the moments that stand out in any way, shape, or form because nothing from the movie as a whole does!

It might seem like I’m beating a dead horse here but Superman IV: The Quest For Peace is just the worst kind of bad! It’s the kind of bad that has no substance, no memorability, no point, no care, and no matter in the world! It’s a film that not only doesn’t need to exist but it feels like even the cast and crew working on it don’t believe it needed to exist either! As we should all know by the now in the year of our lord 2025, nothing matter anymore and just embrace nihilism!

In all seriousness, it really is a shame that such an iconic cinematic figure like Christopher Reeve’s Superman had to go out on such an embarrassing low like A Quest For Peace! He will always be a legend and be remember as the definitive Clark Kent and Superman but these last two Superman films did not do him any truth or justice in any meaningful (or American) way. (Yes, I completely intended that pun!) I just wish he was given at least one more quality film that was able to send his version of Superman up in the air (I’m on a ROLL today!) for one last time!

Regardless, despite how abysmal this film is, how bad Superman III is, and how Superman II fell just short of greatness, Christopher Reeve will still always be Superman in our hearts! He was the one that inspired us all to be the best version of ourselves and was the one man that got the ball rolling with superheroes! Even if Superman IV represented when nothing matter anymore for Superman, we can at least look back at the time to where it did matter for Superman!

And that is all thanks to Christopher Reeves!

RIP Good Sir

We will forever miss you!

Next Up: Superman Returns

Superman III (1983)- When You Become A Self-Parody

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The third installment of a franchise always tends to be the trickiest installment of them all to pull off. By that point, you start to run short on original ideas and it’s when the audience start to feel fatigue of your franchise since they are already familiar with your game and have seen all of the tricks you can pull out of your butts. There’s just so many times where the audience wants to see the Death Star get blown up! It’s also at this point where the studios are as desperate to make as much money as possible now that the brand is as popular as it is and the higher ups wanting higher box office numbers with each new installment. This leads to more emphasis on selling toys, comics, games, merchandise, etc than ever before! Because of that, the studios want to make sure the film aims to as big of a wide audience as possible! This usually results in studios being more involved with film production than before to make sure it has enough content in there for a wide majority of audience, the director having less creative freedom than before because of studio notes, and the desire to make the film more dumb down compared to the previous two films, to make sure it’s age appropriate for young kids and families to see in theaters! If you want a good example of exactly what I just said, look no further than Superman III!

Superman III was basically went the Superman franchise started to lose all of the hearts and wonders that it had from the beginning. While Superman II certainly had dents in it’s armor from both behind and in front of the camera, it was still able to hold together strongly because it built upon the original classics by having the world be more expanded upon, the characters being further developed, and the action and special effects being taken to the next level. This third installment with the man of tomorrow does the exact opposite of that. Instead of heart and wonder, it’s now just gags and slap stick. Instead of important social/political commentary, it’s now just mindless action and explosion. Instead of intimidating villains that pose a real threat to our heroes, they are now cartoon characters that you can’t take seriously. Instead of being smart, it’s now a self-parody! Putting all of this crap together, you get the complete s*itshow that is Superman III!

As you would expect, just like the last time around, Superman III had quite a bit of a rocky production! From disagreements on the script/budgeting to the cast feuding with the producers, it was not a smooth ship sailing to theaters in 1983! And unfortunately, it is very noticeable when you look at it on the screen! The effects looks worse because of it’s cheaper budget, the action as much less thought put into it with no weight, you have supporting characters that serve no purpose other than to be the comic relief (Poor Richard Pryor!), and it has little to no connections to the first two Superman movies!

All you have to do is look at two separate scenes in regards to how tonally all over the place in Superman III! Sometimes it’s all silly and goofy and other times, it gets dark really quickly!

Does those two scenes feel like they belong in the same movie? No, no they don’t!

Granted having a film be funny and dark CAN work if there is a properly balanced tone throughout and if the movie had an actual functioning brain in it’s head, knowing when to be funny and when to be serious! But, there in lies the problem!

Superman III does the exact opposite of what the last two films did, it refuses to take itself seriously by any measures! There’s no tonal balance that director Richard Lester is able to control, no genuine enough stakes to get invested in, and the only stand out sequences are the ones that are either obnoxious silly or obnoxiously serious! This is what you get when you become a self-parody!

For as much as other Part Three films have floundered, they at least did so because of a desire to try to top the bar the previous two films set up, only to end up having the whole foundation crumble right in front of you because of overreliance of your own ambition. Superman III doesn’t even attempt to be in the same wheelhouse as Superman: The Movie or Superman II. It has no desire to be a logical continuation of the first two films or offer an interesting expansion on the world of Superman. I’m willing to bet if you watched the first two films and watch this one without knowing it’s suppose to be the third Superman movie with Christopher Reeves, you would NEVER guest this was suppose to exist in the same universe as the prior two Superman movies. The tone is much different, the scenes feel much more weightless, the characters are giving much less to do, and the whole thing it seems to have room for is ridiculous action and gags throughout.

At times, Superman III feels even more of a soft reboot than even Superman Returns (I’ll certainly go into that more once the time comes!). It just exists in it’s own, immature bubble without a care in the world of honoring it’s title character or even trying to function in it’s own sandbox. It’s just well….. a self-parody!

It’s hard to tell if how much of the studio politics played into the decision making of the film, how much of the film was what Lester wanted, and/or if this film would have even been made at all if Warner Bros wasn’t able to overpay Christopher Reeve to get him to come back, but Superman III follows victim to many disappointing threequels out there, forgetting what made it’s franchise successful in the first place and crushing the entire foundation in the process. What makes this third chapter stink more than most of them though is it’s lack of desire to be as engaging, interesting, or entertaining as the previous two Superman films were! That’s what you get when you become a self-parody!

With a mostly negative reception from fans and critics alike and a disappointing time at the box office, you would think this was the end of the Christopher Reeve run of Superman. Believe it or not, that wasn’t the case! There was actually one more film! A film that somehow managed to be even worse than this one and be up there as one of the worst superhero films ever!

Tune in next time and I will tell you ALL about it!

Next Up: Superman IV: The Quest For Peace